Thousands of Iraqis from the minority Yazidi community are fleeing into Syria to escape Islamic militants who are threatening to slaughter other members of their sect trapped up a remote mountain.

Men, women and children have been forced from their homes in the town of Sinjar with what few belongings they could carry after it was overrun by fighters from the Islamic State (IS).

The exodus comes as the Obama administration has begun directly providing weapons to Kurdish forces who have started to make gains against the jihadists in the north of the country.

Kurdish peshmerga fighters appear to be the best chance of saving the Yazidis, including tens of thousands who are trapped up Sinjar mountain by a circling band of militants.

There, they face a bleak choice of
descending at the risk of being slaughtered or hoping their attackers
were defeated before they die of thirst or hunger.

Meanwhile, a political storm was brewing in Baghdad after Iraq's president named a new prime minister to replace Nouri al-Maliki and urged him to form a broad government that can stem communal bloodshed.

However, it was unclear whether al-Maliki would bow to U.S. and Iranian pressure to step aside.

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Torturous trek: Men, women and children from the Yazidi sect walk towards the Syrian border on the outskirts of Sinjar mountain to escape the Islamic State

Fleeing genocide: Islamic State militants have killed at least 500 members of the Yazidi sect during their offensive in the north, according to Iraq's human rights minister

The U.S. officials
wouldn't say which U.S. agency is providing the arms to the Kurds or what weapons are
being sent, but one said it isn't the Pentagon.

The CIA has historically done similar quiet arming operations.

Previously,
the U.S. had insisted on only selling arms to the Iraqi government in
Baghdad, but the Kurdish peshmerga fighters had been losing ground to
Islamic State fighters in recent weeks.

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U.S.
air strikes have been key to redressing the balance over weekend,
allowing Kurdish forces to retake two towns yesterday in one of their
first victories since the uprising began in June.

Military
officials said American fighter aircraft struck and destroyed several
vehicles that were part of an Islamic State group convoy moving to
attack Kurdish forces defending the northeastern Iraqi city of Irbil.

Kurdish authorities at the border believe some 45,000 Yazidis passed the river crossing in the past week, while thousands more are still stranded in the mountains

Refugees: Iraqis from the Yazidi community cross the border in Syria along the Feeshkhabour bridge over Tigris River as thousands flee Islamic militants

Desperate: Yazidis ride in the trunk of a car as they make their way towards the Syrian border, on the outskirts of Sinjar mountain, near the Syrian town of Elierbeh

On the run: The Yazidis fleeing to Syria said Islamic State militants had given them the choice of converting to Islam or dying

Much-needed rest: Displaced Iraqis from the Yazidi community cool themselves in the Tigris River at the Feeshkhabour border point

An Islamic State chief who calls himself the 'emir' of Mosul claims the world 'has seen nothing yet' from the terror group.

Jihadi commander Haji Othman claimed his fighters had no fear of American air strikes and everyone would be 'amazed' when they saw their full capabilities.

In an interview with an Italian newspaper, he warned that Christians in northern Iraq must convert to Islam, pay a tax as 'non-believers' or face certain death.

The Islamic State already controls around a third of Syria and has swept through swathes of Iraq since June when they took Mosul, the country's second city and became the most cash-rich terrorist group in the world.

But their plans do not stop there, Othman told Corriere della Sera, one of Italy’s leading dailies.

‘You have seen nothing yet. This is just the beginning,' he told the newspaper in a telephone conversation by mobile phone.

'So far we’ve used just a minimal part of the strength that we have at our disposal. You cannot imagine how strong we really are.

'We have immense power. You will be amazed. You won’t be able to resist us.

‘We've never feared the Americans, not even in the past when we were much weaker.

‘Why would we fear them now? We’ve defeated them before and we’ll defeat them again.

'May Allah curse the Americans and their allies! They will suffer an ugly death.’

He said that Christians could return only if they converted immediately to Islam or paid the jizyah, an ancient tax once imposed on non-Muslims.

‘They can return, they will be welcome. But under one condition – that they convert to Islam.

'Then we will welcome them as brothers.'

The move to directly aid the Kurds underscores the level of U.S. concern about the Islamic State's gains in the north.

It also reflects the persistent administration view that the Iraqis must
take the necessary steps to solve their own security problems.

In
recent days, the U.S. military has been helping to facilitate weapons
deliveries from the Iraqis to the Kurds, providing logistic assistance
and transportation to the north.

To
bolster that effort, the administration is also very close to approving
plans for the Pentagon to arm the Kurds in the offensive against IS, a senior official said.

As
well as the fanatical loyalty of its fighters, the ultra-extremist
group possesses state-of-the-art weaponry that outguns much of the
ageing firepower of the peshmergas.

Most of its armoury was seized during a lightning advance several weeks
ago when fleeing Iraqi troops abandoned the artillery and armoured
vehicles that they had been given by U.S. forces.

This has proven more than a match for the formidable peshmerga – which
defends the Kurdish semi-autonomous region in the north – and its 12.7mm
Soviet-era machine guns and outdated Russian T-55 tanks.

IS
also controls valuable oil fields and, with the help of wealthy Sunni
backers from the Gulf states, is estimated to have amassed a staggering
£1.2billion.

The Islamic
State, which sees Iraq's majority Shi'ites as infidels who deserve to be
killed, has ruthlessly moved through one town after another, using
tanks and heavy weapons it seized from soldiers who have fled in their
thousands.

On Monday, police
said the fighters had seized the town of Jalawla, 115 km (70 miles)
northeast of Baghdad, after driving out the forces of the autonomous
Kurdish regional government.

On Sunday, a government minister said
Islamic State militants had killed hundreds of minority Yazidis, burying
some alive and taking women as slaves.

Human
rights minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani accused the Sunni Muslim
militants - who have ordered the community they regard as 'devil
worshippers' to convert to Islam or die - of celebrating what he called a
'a vicious atrocity'.

No independent confirmation was available of the killings.

Thousands
of Yazidis have taken refuge in the past week on the arid heights of
Mount Sinjar, close to the Syrian border.

Retaliation: Kurdish peshmerga fighters stand over bodies of militants from ISIS in Abo Shita village after launching a counter-offensive with the help of U.S. air strikes

U.S. air strikes have been key to the counter-offensive, allowing Kurdish forces to retake two towns in one of their first victories since the uprising began in June

An attempt by the British to deliver aid to them
was called off when the RAF aircrew decided that the supplies could have
injured the desperate people below.

But Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond insisted the aid effort would be stepped up.

Mr
Hammond, who chaired a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra
committee to discuss the crisis, said the situation was 'challenging'
and warned of a 'potential humanitarian disaster on a huge scale'.

The
next air drop of humanitarian aid in northern Iraq is likely to be
carried out within the next 24 hours after RAF crews were forced to
abandon their attempt to deliver supplies overnight.

The UK has already made one successful aid flight, dropping supplies including water and solar lanterns.

Mr Hammond rejected calls for
Parliament to be recalled to discuss the crisis and said there were no
plans for British military involvement: 'We don’t envisage a combat role
at the present time.'

More help coming their way: Kurdish Peshmerga fighters flash victory signs after making gains against Islamic State militants in the village of Abo Shita in Qwer, Iraq

Bolstering their firepower: The Obama administration is now sending weapons directly to Peshmerga forces, seen here in Makhmur after making gains against Islamic State militants

The
additional U.S. assistance comes as Kurdish forces yesterday took back two
towns from the Islamic insurgents, aided in part by U.S. air strikes in
the region.

In the Kurdish capital on Sunday, the
president of the semi-autonomous Kurdish Regional Government, Massoud
Barzani, said American military support has been effective thus far,
but, he added, peshmerga soldiers require more firepower to defeat the
militants.

'We are not
asking our friends to send their sons to fight on our behalf,' Barzani
told The Associated Press.

'What
we are asking our friends is to provide us support and to co-operate
with us in providing us with heavy weapons that we are able to fight
this terrorist group.'

President
Barack Obama authorised the airstrikes to protect U.S. interests and
personnel in the region, including at facilities in Irbil, as well as
Yazidi refugees fleeing militants.

U.S.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, speaking to reporters here, said the
airstrikes 'have been very effective from all the reports that we've
received on the ground.'

He
declined to detail how or when the U.S. might expand its assistance to
Iraq, or if military assessment teams currently in Baghdad would be
moving to a more active role advising the Iraqi forces.

'We're
going to continue to support the Iraqi security forces in every way
that we can as they request assistance there,' Hagel said during a press
conference with Australian Defense Minister David Johnston.

On the offensive: Volunteers from Kurdish peshmerga fighters take up arms in the fight against the ISIS militants in the Iraqi city of Mosul

Volunteers from Kurdish Peshmerga fighters take up their positions in an offensive against IS militants in Mosul. The move to arm the Kurds underscores the level of U.S. concern about the extremist group's gains

KURDS HAMPERED BY OLD WEAPONS AND LOW MORALE

With around 40,000 fighters, Kurdish peshmergas are among the best-trained sections of Iraq's security forces.

But a combination of ageing weaponry, dwindling ammunition and low morale has seen them swept away by a ruthless, well-equipped band of bloodthirsty jihadists.

Until recent U.S. air strikes came to their aid, the Kurds have been making do with outdated Russian machine guns, tanks, AK-47 rifles and Soviet-era rocket launchers.

A shortage of ammunition has also forced them to retreat to ensure their supply lines continue to function.

This has been compounded by a dispute with the Iraqi government over pay, which has not been forthcoming for peshmerga soldiers for the past two months, leading to low morale, it was reported by The Times.

By comparison, Islamic State (IS) fighters have been motivated by a fanatical loyalty to their cause to create a caliphate across the border of Syria and Iraq.

Despite their inferior numbers - they have around 15,000 fighters - their state-of-the-art weaponry that outguns much of the ageing firepower of the peshmergas.

Most of its armoury was seized during a lightning advance several weeks ago when fleeing Iraqi troops abandoned the artillery as well as dozens of Soviet tanks and armoured vehicles that they had been given by U.S. forces.

IS also controls valuable oil fields and, with the help of wealthy Sunni backers from the Gulf states, is estimated to have amassed a staggering £1.2billion.

At
the same time, the administration is watching carefully as a political
crisis brews in Baghdad after a new Prime Minister was named to succeed
al-Maliki.

Iraqi President Fuad Masum tasked
first deputy speaker of parliament Haidar al-Abadi with forming a
government during a brief ceremony broadcast live on television.

'The country is now in your hands,' Masum told al-Abadi.

Iraq's
largest coalition of Shi'ite political parties chose the deputy prime
minister to be its candidate to lead the government in a major defeat
for al-Maliki just hours after he declared himself the rightful
candidate and put troops on the street.

The
Iraqi National nominated al-Ibadi to replace al-Maliki and to form a
new government to unify the country against the growing threat of
radical militants, alliance head Ibrahim al-Jaafari said in a
statement.

Al-Maliki's
Shi'ite-dominated bloc won the most parliament seats in April elections
and the prime minister sees himself as rightfully keeping the post. He accused Masum of neglecting to name a prime minister by Sunday's deadline.

Critics say the Shi'ite al-Maliki
contributed to the crisis by monopolising power and pursuing a sectarian
agenda that alienated the country's Sunni and Kurdish minorities.

Al-Abadi's
nomination came hours after al-Maliki deployed his elite security
forces in the streets of Baghdad, partially closed two main streets -
popular spots for pro and anti-government rallies - as hundreds of his
supporters took to the streets.

'We are with you, al-Maliki,' they shouted, waving posters of the incumbent premier, singing and dancing.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry earlier urged the people of Iraq to remain calm amid the political and military upheaval.

Speaking
in Australia today, Kerry said there should be no use of force by
political factions as Iraq struggles to form a government.

'We
believe that the government formation process is critical in terms of
sustaining the stability and calm in Iraq,' Kerry said.

'And our hope is that Mr Maliki will not stir those waters.'

Meanwhile, activists said Islamic
State militants have crushed a tribal uprising against their rule in
eastern Syria after three days of clashes in three villages near the
border with Iraq.

All hands on deck: Ex-combatants of the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters who have volunteered again to fight against the militants from the Islamic State, take up position near Khazer town near Mosul city in northern Iraq

Taking aim: Volunteers from Kurdish Peshmerga fighters take up their position as they fight with Kurdish forces against the militants from the Islamic State

The armed
revolt by the Shueitat tribe in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour was
the first sign of local resistance to the Islamic State group since its
fighters swept into the province.

The
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Turkey-based
activist Thaer ak-Deiri said that Islamic State group fighters regained
control of three villages of the Shueitat tribe on Sunday after being
expelled earlier this month.

The
Observatory said Islamic State fighters beheaded two tribesmen after
they fled to the nearby village of Shaafa. It had no immediate word on
other casualties in the area.

Clashes over the past two weeks left more than a dozen people dead and both sides.

The group has declared a self-styled
caliphate in territory it controls along the Iraqi-Syrian border,
imposing a harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

The
clashes in eastern Syria came as Islamic State fighters tightened their
siege on a major military air base in the town of Tabqa in the northern
province of Raqqa.

The air base is the last army position in the Raqqa province that is an Islamic State stronghold.

The U.S. military has been helping to facilitate weapons deliveries from the Iraqis to the Kurds, who had been losing ground to the Islamic State in recent weeks, but now they are being armed directly

US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Australian counterpart Julie Bishop arrive in Sydney. Mr Kerry urged the people of Iraq to remain calm amid the political and military upheaval

The Observatory's chief Rami Abdurrahman said Islamic State fighters are bombarding the base with artillery as they appear to be preparing to storm it.

Last week, Islamic State fighters seized the nearby Brigade 93 base after days of heavy fighting and late last month captured another base in which they took dozens of prisoners whom some of them were later beheaded and their bodies paraded in one of Raqqa's main squares.

Syria's conflict began in March 2011 as a popular uprising against President Bashar Assad's rule, but turned into an insurgency after government forces violently cracked down on demonstrators.

It has since become civil war with sectarian overtones.

Over 170,000 people have been killed in Syria in more than three years of fighting, activists say.

Murderous march of ISIS: A graphic detailing the insurgency by 15,000 Islamic State fighters across Iraq